Water-purification system.



J. P. WIXFORD. WTER PURIPIGATION SYSTEM. APrLIoATIoN FILED MAY 1, 1905.

9 1 7 ,9 1 8 Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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J. F. WIXFORD. WATER lURIEICULIIOIT SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1905.

917,918` V Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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UNITED STASQEMIIIENVI OITIQR.

JOHN F. WIXFORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WIXFORD WATER PATENTS COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

WATER-PURIFIGATION SYSTEM.

No. einem.

To all `whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Wixronn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State olI Missouri, have invented a newu and useful Improvement in lllater-urification Systems, of which the following is a specification.

iy invention relates to systems for the purification ci the Water supplies of cities.

It has for its orincipal objects to provide a system capable of adaptation to Water ivorlrs plants of existing types; to collect the precipitated matter and sediment and re move it from the settling basin Without emptying the basin 5 to remove the precipitated matter and sediment from basins the bottom of which may be belovY the level of the Water in the river or body of Water into which it is to be directed; to make the flow of Water in the settling basins uniform and equal throughout the Whole basin; and other objects hereinafter more fully appearing.

My invention consists in the combination-is and arrangements hereinafter described aiul claimed.

In the accompanying drawings formingl a part of this application and wherein lilie symbols refer to like parts Wherever they occur, Figure i is a plan vieiv of one end of a settling basin especially adapted for use as a part of my system; Ilig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewv thereof on the line lef-lil of i. on an enlarged scale 3 Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a basin olI ordinary ty1 adapted to if my system; and, Fig. 4: is a plan vieuY of the entire system including a settling basin.

The improved system. for the purification el' uf'ater is shovn, for the purpose oi' illustration, as applied to a Water Works plant empliiaying settling basins. The supply of Wa ter is supposed to be derived from a river A, in which is built an intake tower l. An intake tunnel er conduit 2 leads from the intake tower to an uptake shaft I3 which rises to the level of the ground. A tunnel or conduit l connects with the uptake shaft at a point considerably above the entrance point of the intake tunnel or pi e and conveys the Water to a wet-well 5. ripes lead from the wet-Well to a pump house B in which are located pumps that force the Water through the pipes 7 to a delivery Well 8. A conduit 9 leads from the delivery Well along one end of the settling basins C, of Which one is Specification of Letters :Patent Application filed May l, 1905.

. shown. il pipe l0 leads from the conduit 9 into the. settling basin and the admission of Water is controlled by gates beneath a house I). The Water emerges from the settling basin at its opposite end through pipes ll into a clear Water conduit l2 which rims along the ends of the settling basins. The plant, so far as described, is one of known type. To it my-systein is applied Without any necessity for reconstruction of the plant, the adaptation being accomplished solely by means of additions. This adaptability of the system to existing plants Without necessitating expensive reconstruction is one oi' its merits.

The process of purification for Which this system is primarily adapted contemplates the coagulation of the matter to be eliminated by the addition of a reagent, such as a solution of ferrous sulfate, to the Water at one point and the subsequent addition of hydrate of lime, preferably milk of lime, in quantities greatly in excess of that necessary to satisfy the ferrous sulfate in solution. rIhis process is fully described and claimed in Letters Patent No. 807,008, granted to him therefor December 12, i905.

As stated hereinbefore, by the time the Water reaches the settling basins the reactions are substantially complete and the resulting insoluble precipitates are held in suspension and are ready to be deposited as soon as the water is quiet enough to permit sedimentation. In this condition the ivater enters the basins.

Lateral branch pipes 57 are connected to the pipes l0 leading from the conduit 9 to the basin. Vertical pipes 58 lead upwardly from the branch pipes 57 to Within two or three feet of the Water level in the basin. Thus the volume of Water entering the basin is broken up into a number of small vertical streams and violent agitation in the basin is avoided. As the pipes 58 are uniformly distributed across the end of the basin, a practically uniform current or flow is induced over the entire Width of the basin. Conse quently the velocity of flow can be quite ,low and the Water will be comparatively quiet, a condition to be desired for sedimentation. Experience has shown that nearly all the precipitates Will coagulate and come down in a short time, and Within a short distance from the point of admission of the Water. Thus, by far the larger part of the sediment Will be deposited near the end of the basin at Which the Water is admitted.

Means are provided for collecting this sediment and removing it from the settling basin Without emptying the basin. The preferred form of basin i'or this purpose is shown in Figs. 1` and 2. The pipe l0 and its branch pipes 57 and their upwardly extending pipes 58 are arranged at the end of the basin adj acent the river A, and the clear Water is drawn oil at the end farthest from the liver. The floor of the basin at the end at which the Water is admitted is provided with a plurality of pockets or depressions 59. These pockets are shown as pyramidal in shape, though they may be conical. The Walls thereof, which are inclined sections of the floor of the basin, are inclined at an anglel greater than the angle of rest of the sediment. Hence, the sediment will tend to slide to the bottom of the pocket. The pockets open at their bottoms into sewer pipes 60 which empty into a sewer-head 6l connected to a larger sewer-pipe 62. A gate-house F contains gates by means of which any one ol: the pipes o0 may be opened or closed. The large sewer-pipe 62 is controlled by a gate in a gate house G.

The pipes 58 are arranged in the longitudi nal center-lines of said pockets and at some distance from the Wall of the basin. The Water will have been treated with the coagulating reagents before being admitted to the basin and the larger portion of the impurities will go down as soon as the Water is quiet enough to permit it to do so. lf the pockets are so proportioned to the length ofthe basin and the rate of low therethrough that under the normal conditions of the system it will require an hour or tWo for the water to flow over the pockets, almost all of the impurities will be deposited in the pockets. Vnen the sewer is opened the sediment will How out of the pockets of its own Weight and under the pressure of the Water in the basin. Thus, the pockets can be cleaned at frequent intervals Without emptying the Water from the basins and with the use of a small amount of Water. So small an amount of the impurities will remainin the Water to be de posited in the body of the basin that it will not need to be cleaned for very long periods.

In addition to the saving ol' time, Water and expense, the arrangement lor cleaning the basin without emptying it, is advantageous l'or the reason that it makes it possible to clean basins Whose bottoms are below the level oll the water ol' the river into which the basins drain. This is a common condition during periods ol high Water and as it is impossible to drain the basins during such times it has been the practice hereto fore to allow the sediment to accumulate until the river has subsided to a point below the bottom ol' the basins. By my arrangement,

fthe pockets can be cleaned so long as the level ol' the Water in the basin is high enough above the level oi' the Water in the river to give a sullicient head to overcome the friction ol' the sediment in the sewer pipes. Thus, the basin can be cleaned when the level ol' Water in the river is several i'eet above the bottom oll the basin.

Fig. 3 illustrates my system adapted to existing basins Without extensive alterations thereof. An inclined i'oloor G3 sloping upwardly and forwardly is supported on a trame work 64 resting on the hoor o the basin. The inclined lloor does not extend to the suri'ace oll the Water. The upper end ol' the inclined i'loor is so l'ar below the surface oll the water as to leave ample cross-section above for the llow olI the required volume ol' Water. At the bottom ol the hasin and at the rear end ol the inclined lloor, a gutter 65 is formed. A number oll liat primary sewerheads 66 having converging sides open into said gutter, At their narrower ends, the sewer-heads 65 connect to pipes 67 which empty into a main sewer-head (58, of the same general shape as the primary sewer-heads 56. To the main sewer-head, a sewer G9 is connected which empties into the river. lllow through the sewer is controlled by means ol' gates 1n the gate-house lll.

The inclined l'loor, preferably, extends in the direction oll l'low ol' the Water through the basin such a distance and the rate ol'l the lloW through the basin is such, that Water entering through the pipes 58 will remain above the l'loor from one to tvfo hours. During this time the coagulation is most rapid and the larger part ol' the sediment Will go down. The sediment Will slide down the inclined floor into the gutter and will accumulate between to drain and clean the whole basin ol'tener than once a year.

Under certain conditions, a siphon Will vbe preferable 'to a sewer oi' the hind shown lor drawing oil the sediment. This, however, does not change the principle oi providing means lor carrying the .sediment into the gutter or the pocket so that it may be draw o To secure a uniformity of flow across the entire basin and prevent the usual currents the end o1' the basin and. the lower rear end o'll l carried beyond it that it Will not henecessary provision for collection of and drawing off 1 ing a continuously open settling basin ofthe i at the center of the basin with eddy-currents at the sides thereof, due to withdrawing the water at the center of the end of the basin, a perforated baille is rovided. lhis baffle may be made of woot and comprises boards secured to I-beams 71 carried by frame-work 72 resting on the floor of the basin. 'ihe barile is perforated with a large number of holes and it extends above the surface of the water. l he holes are distributed along the entire length of the baffle and at various depths and of such size that it will be impossible for the entire volume of water withdrawn from the basin to pass through much fewer than all of them. Hence, there must be a flow throughout the width of the basin. It is obvious that the baffle could be made of parallel boards with slits or spaces between them.

ln consequence of the arrangement above described, the stream flowing into the settling basin is subdivided into a number of small streams regularly distributed over the width of the basin. 'ihe pipes 5S being directed upwardly, the velocity of the inflowing streams is partly reduced by gravity and partly by the water above the tops of the pipes. rlhus, there is practically no impulse, due to the inflowing streams, in the direction of flow through the basin and the water comparatively near to said pipes will be quiet.

"i he water flows over the inclined portion of the bottom or the depressions. At this time the impurities are being rapidly precipitated and by far the larger part of them will be deposited before the water has passed beyond the depressions. rlhe sediment deposited in the depression will slide down the sides thereof and will collect in the lower portions, whence, it may be drawn off as often as desired by opening the sewer pi es. rlhe water will carry a comparative y small amount of impurities beyond the depressions and hence, the main portions of the basin will not need to be cleaned for a very long time. rlhe water flows in a uniform stream across the basin on account of the subdivision of the infiowing stream and the baille at the delivery end of the basin. rlhe size of the basin is, preferably, such that it will take the water forty-eight hours to flow from one end to the other, though very good results can be secured if less time is allowed.

Obviously, my system is capable of considerable modification within the scope of my invention and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the specific arrangements shown and described. For instance, an auxiliary basin may be employed into which the water may be introduced from the conduit and in which the sediment may collect as it does in the depressions of the basins hereinbefore described. From this basin the water may iiow into a main basin; in which case, no

the sediment from the main basin need be made.

lhat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A system of water purification comprising a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, a plurality of upwardly extending submerged pipes in said basin connected to said conduit, and acurrent distributing baille near the delivery end of said basin.

2. A system of water purilication comprising a continuously open settling basin suitable for use in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, a plurality of upwardly extending submerged pipes in said basin and connected to said conduit, and a current distributing baffle near the delivery end of said basin arranged to distribute the current throughout substantially the whole :ross sectional area of the basin, the portion of the Hoor of said basin over which the incoming water iirst flows being inclined, and a sewer opening into said. basin near the lowest point of seid inclined licor.

O. ing a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from the source of water supply to said basin, and means to reduce the velocity of water upon entering said basin and to produce a transversely uniform Vflow through said basin, said means com rising a plurality of upwardly extending su )merged pipes regularly distributed throughout the width of one end of said basin and connected to said conduit, an outlet at the opposite end of said basin and a current distributing baille near the outlet end of said basin, the portion of the Vfloor of said basin over which the incoming water first flows being inclined, and a sewer opening` into said basin near the lowest point of said inclined portion.

4.. A system of water purification comprising a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, means to introduce a coagulating reagent into said conduit at such a distance from said basin that the water will be in condition for the impurities therein to coagulate upon reading said basin, a plurality of upwardly extending submerged pi )es regularly distributed throughout the width of one end of said basin connected to said conduit, an outlet at the opposite end of said basin, and a current distributing baffle near the outlet end of said basin, and a sewer opening into said basin near the water admission end thereof.

5. A system of water purification compris- A system of water puriication compris! kind used in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, and means to introduce a coagulating reagent into said conduit, a plurality oi' upwardly extending submerged pipes regularly distributed throughout the width of one end of said basin connected to said conduit and an outlet at the opposite end of said basin and a current distributing baille near the outlet end of said basin, and a sewer opening into the bottom of said basin. near the point of admission oi the water supply.

6. A system of water purification comprising a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants having a portion of its bottom inclined, and a sewer opening into said basin near the lowest point of said inclined portion, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, a plurality of upwardly extending submerged pipes arranged above said inclined portion of said bottom and connected with said conduit, a delivery outlet and a current distributing' baille at the delivery end of said basin between the points of water inlet and delivery.

7. In a system oi water purification, a continuously open settling basin, of a kind used in municipal water works plants, a plurality of upwardly extending submerged inlet pipes arranged across one side ofthe basin, an outlet at the opposite side ol the basin, a plurality of depressions in the bottom of the basin and extending across one side thereof near said inlet pipes sewer connections opening into the bottom oi each of said depressions, and means for controlling the ilow of sediment through the sewer connections from said depressions.

8. ln a system oi' water purification, comprising a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, means for conducting water into said basin and discharging it upwardly beneath the surface, an outlet therefor, discharge means opening into the lower portion of said basin below the place where the water is admitted and close to the vertical plane and between said plane and the delivery outlet, vertically disposed current distributing means near the outlet whereby is created a horizontal flow throughout substantially the entire cross sectional area of the basin.

9. In a system of water purification comprising` a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, means to introduce water into said basin beneath the surface and along substantially the full length of one side, and an outlet therefor, at the opposite side, said basin having the portion of its bottom below and forward orc the water admission point inclined downwardly, and a sewer opening into the bottom of said basin near the lowest point oi' said inclined portion of the bottom, and a vertically disposed current distributing baille near the outlet whereby is created a horizontal llow throughout substantially the whole depth of the basin, the bottom of said basin being so formed as to provide an uninterrupted path for the water throughout the entire cross-sectional area of the basin from the inlet to the baille, fo r the purpose specified.

10. A system of water puri'lication comprising a sedimentation basin suitable for use in municipal water works plants, which has a water inlet arranged to admit water upwardly beneath the surface and along substantially the full length of one side and a water outlet at the opposite side and a sewer outlet, said basin comprising a main section and a marginal section continuous with each other, the marginal section being at the side where the water is admitted and having a sloping door through the lowermost portion of which the sewer outlet opens in close proximity to the vertical plane of the inlet, and means near the outlet for distributing the horizontal flow throughout substantially the whole depth of the basin.

l1. A system of water puriiication com prising a continuously open settling basin of the kind used in municipal water works plants, a conduit leading from a source of water supply to said basin, a plurality ci upwardly opening inlets, outlets in the bottom ofthe basin in close proximity to the vertical plane of the inlets, a current distributing battle near the delivery endv of the basin, and an uninterrupted path for the water throughout the entire cross sectional area of the basin from the inlets to the baffle.

JOHN F. NIXFORD l/vlitnesses JULIA B. MEGOWN, FRED F. REISNER. 

